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Red sand verbena

Abronia maritima

Red sand verbena
Photo: Pacific Southwest Region USFWS from Sacramento, US, Public domain

A low, mat-forming succulent perennial of coastal sand dunes, grown mainly for its red-pink flowers that bloom year-round. It needs sandy, salty conditions and does not tolerate fresh water or prolonged drought, so it suits coastal gardens rather than typical borders.

Family
Nyctaginaceae (Nyctagin family)
Grows as
Succulent, Perennial
Light
Full sun
Water
Water rarely and lightly; it needs salty sea spray and dislikes regular fresh water.
Soil
Loose, well-drained sand.
Temperature
Mild coastal conditions; avoid hard frost (general guidance).
How easy
Hard
Native range
SW. California to W. Mexico (incl. Is. Tres Mariás)
Climate
subtropical

About

Abronia maritima is a species of sand verbena known by the common name red sand verbena. This is a beach-adapted perennial plant native to the coastlines of southern California, including the Channel Islands, and northern Baja California. It grows along stable sand dunes near, but not in, the ocean surf.

This halophyte requires saline water which it receives mostly in the form of sea spray, and cannot tolerate fresh water or prolonged dry conditions. Its succulent tissues are adapted to isolate and store salt.

Other Abronia plants

Snowball sand verbena

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Abronia maritima by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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